Determining the Frequency of Past Hurricanes

A sort of preliminary study that was released by scientists from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville during the Earth System Processes 2 conference this week shows that a new method of measuring the ratio of oxygen isotopes in pine trees may allow researchers to determine how frequent past hurricanes occurred. In a “proof of concept” study of the oxygen isotopes found in the cellulose of late-season growth in annual growth rings from pine trees near Valdosta, Georgia, a team led by Claudia Mora found they could identify all known hurricanes that hit the area over the past fifty years.